Standing outside the large oak door, Libelle fought to replace her hot and embarrassed look with a stoic expression that Gaalin would be unable to read. Eskil stood beside her with a sated smile on his face, pleased that once again he had satisfied both their needs.
By the gods this man, this beast is difficult. She groaned, inhaling and exhaling slowly to return to her cold state.
She needed to be her usual self, she needed to calm down, she needed to...
She turned on her heel, batting away Eskil's hand that was caressing her backside.
"You!"
"My lady Libelle?"
Wide eyed, Libelle turned to see Gaalin standing in the now open doorway. She inhaled sharply, stomped her heel on Eskil's unsuspecting toes and pushed her way past Gaalin, walking into the warmth of her home. He was naked with only a towel wrapped around his waist, exposing his muscular body. How was she to contain Eskil now? She dropped her packs on the floor while Gaalin stared with a puzzled expression at the horned, cursing man who was standing in the doorway.
"My lord, who is th—"
"Fetch me hot water for a bath, Gaalin. I feel like relaxing before I retire for the evening," she said calmly, keeping her face away from both men until the blush on her cheeks had faded.
"Of course, but might I ask who this is?"
"A guest. He will be staying with us from now on."
The grey-skinned elf stood up straight, his reddish eyes widening as he pointed at Eskil. "Guest? My lord, you've been gone for weeks and you suddenly return, unannounced, with a man?"
Gaalin was incredibly perplexed. He had not heard from Libelle since the encounter with the copper-scaled dragon in Edinburgh. She had just left, never sending any word to him about her location or her plans. He never even knew if she was alright, or if she was trapped or injured somewhere, or worse.
However, here she stood before him wearing tattered clothing and an uneasy expression. For the first time ever, she had brought a man home with her. She had never done such an indecent thing before! Why she had chosen to bring this man home was beyond his comprehension. The man had a foul aura around him; he looked demonic, like he was up to something evil.
He pulled the long silver strands of hair from his shoulder and flicked them behind his back, glaring daggers at Eskil who was struggling to hide his mischievous smile. The dark elf was baffled by his presence, and he could tell how much discomfort it was causing him. Eskil enjoyed that. He was causing this man uneasiness. Good.
How dare he be walking around in front of his lifemate while half nude, as if he were expecting something from her?
"My lord!" Gaalin tried to block him from entering the house but his efforts were in vain. Eskil walked into his new home, picking up miscellaneous artifacts and analyzing them while Libelle remained standing in the center of the room with her head in her hands. He looked around the spacious entryway and wandered further into the home. Past another double doorway, he walked into what he assumed was a dining area. A large wooden table was in the center of the room with baskets of fresh produce all over it.
Libelle watched as Eskil wandered through the rooms of her home, before he turned and walked into her well-stocked kitchen.
"Gaalin, water for my bath. Now."
Gaalin scowled, his brow furrowing and his minor wrinkles becoming more apparent with his anger. What was going on? He wondered, what are you hiding, lord?
"I cannot accept an unknown man into your home, my lord. Who is he?"
"Gaalin, I do not want to discuss this right now." She watched as Eskil returned from her kitchen; he had obviously found the salted beef and was happily gnawing away at the chunk of meat. He walked up to her and offered her a piece, which she refused. He scowled at her as she glared back at him.
"My lord, I insist. He doesn't look trustworthy. Who is he?"
She wanted to scream in frustration, and the fact that Eskil was enjoying this far too much was not helping her growing anger. He had a slight grin on his face as he remained purposely close to Libelle in order to frustrate her possessive retainer.
"Gaalin, if you must know, this is Eskil," she sighed, pointing at their guest.
The dark elf's expression went from frustrated to confused as he looked Eskil up and down. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes as he processed her words. Slowly, realization struck him, and his eyes began to widen, his jaw dropping.
"Eskil?" he barked in disbelief. "The Eskil? The dragon prince? The shadow of death that brings terror and corruption?"
Well, the list could go on and on, and he could not believe that this beastly man was the dragon that his lord had been hunting for years.
Eskil swallowed another mouthful of his salted beef and chuckled. He spoke sarcastically while glaring at Gaalin with the darkest expression he could muster. "The one and only."
Gaalin couldn't contain his surprise. "What!"
Eskil laughed demonically. "Pathetic mortal, did you not understand my words?"
The man's eyes widened further, suddenly stumbling forward and reaching for Libelle. He twisted his fist in the collar of her shirt and jerked her backwards against his chest. He pulled a dagger from her belt and pointed it towards Eskil.
"Stay back!" he snapped.
Eskil's own eyes widened in surprise as he felt a protective rage beginning to seethe from within him.
"You will not touch her. Let her go!"
Gaalin felt a pang of fear rising inside him. How could his lord willingly bring such a creature into her home? The vile beast must have corrupted her somehow, he must have forced her.
"Wait," Gaalin said. "Why does he look like a man?"
Eskil's rumbling growl shook the floorboards as he took a step towards the grey-skinned male who had his arm protectively wrapped around Libelle's waist. She rolled her eyes, staring at Eskil as if she were simply bored.
The grey skin had his hands on his lifemate, and it enraged Eskil beyond his control. He would have his head for this. Eskil took another step towards them, and Libelle's dagger in Gaalin's hand raised higher. The drow elf was truly terrified; if this man were really Eskil, he knew he could be slaughtered in seconds.
Another throaty growl emitted from Eskil and another quake radiated through house. Dishes on the table rattled and even the wooden beams groaned.
"Enough!" Libelle snapped.
Both men jumped, her eyes swirling with anger at them. She twisted Gaalin's wrists, forcing him to drop the dagger and release her waist. She slammed her elbow back into his ribs, forcing him to step backwards while he coughed and gasped for air. She glared down at him, then spun around and stomped up to Eskil.
He smiled playfully at her. "My little she-elf, calm down."
"Don't you dare tell me to calm down."
"Don't be angry."
She bit her lip. Rightfully, she should smack him just as hard as she had just done to Gaalin, but knowing how deeply his emotions had developed for her over such a short period of time, she would feel guilty for striking him. She sighed, closed her eyes and shook her head. She walked passed Eskil and through the dining area, pausing at the steps before turning to speak over her shoulder.
"Gaalin. Water for my bath, please."
She then turned and walked up the stairs, disappearing into the dark of the second floor.
He replied past his grunts of pain, "Right away, lord."